Nellore has been shrouded in a pall of gloom after two residents were killed in a horrific road accident on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) of Hyderabad near Adibatla late Sunday night. The victims were identified as Kiran Kumar, 28, and P. Rajesh, 30, who were heading from Nellore to Secunderabad for a business engagement when their luxury SUV lost control. Preliminary reports from Rachakonda Police said the vehicle was speeding and a suspected tire burst caused the vehicle to swerve out of the lane, flip over several times and hit the median railing. The crash was so severe that the front end of the vehicle was completely mangled, caught under the metal barrier.
The trauma proved fatal – Kiran died on the spot while Rajesh succumbed to internal injuries while being taken to a nearby private hospital within minutes of the incident. The other two people in the car survived the crash with fractures that are not considered life threatening and are receiving treatment. Air bags deployed, but the speed of the impact made it difficult for the people in the front seats to survive, police officials said. The bodies have been taken to the Osmania General Hospital morgue for post-mortem examination and handed over to their families, who are devastated.
The incident has once again highlighted the safety of the ORR, where high speed limits can have fatal consequences when mechanical failures occur. The police in Adibatla have booked a case of accidental death and are investigating the CCTV footage of the nearest toll plaza to find out if any other vehicle was involved in the act. The Nellore community is mourning the death of two promising young professionals and authorities have issued a fresh advisory for travellers to carry out rigorous checks of tyres and brakes before hitting the long-distance highways, especially in summer heat when the risk of tyre bursts is high on concrete stretches.
